March 13, 2025
By Stanley Ebele
Several women from Karamoja who had crossed to the neighbouring districts of Katakwi, Kapelebyong, Amuria and Soroti in the Teso sub- region have started returning home.
Their return coincides with the onset of rains which started early this week.
While women and children often cross to Teso, Lango and Acholi sub regions during dry season to look for food in exchange for their labour, the men and their boys move out in search of pastures and water for their animals.
However, most of them return home as soon as rains start pouring.
Etoil A Karamoja team has been monitoring the situation since last week, and observed hundreds of the women accompanied by their children arriving on trucks loaded with food items mainly dry cassava and potatoes.
Some of the women and girls were excited reuniting with their whole families after months of separation.
Before their return, the local leaders in Kotido had expressed concerns over the mass movement of the women and girls mostly from South Division, Panyanga and Nakapelimoru to extent that only men and the elderly remained to look after the families.
It is reported that more than 2, 000 women and children were pushed out of their homes from December last year to January 2025.
The returnees said that they have gathered enough food to last months as they prepare to embark on crop production.
